A blowout latch is a type of latch that releases when excessive pressure is applied to the panel or door which the latch secures. These latches can have many applications but are typically used on aircraft in places such as on the panels which cover the aircraft's engine. When excessive pressure is applied to the enclosing panels, the blowout latch will allow the panels to open to avoid damage to the panels or other aircraft structures. A desired feature of blowout latches is the ability to alternately manually open the latch. Another desired feature is a prominent visual indication of when the latch has been released.
A problem exists with prior art blowout latches however in that they are undesirably complicated, heavy, and relatively non efficient for aircraft applications. There is therefore a need in the art to provide a latch that overcomes these deficiencies.